Battery manufacturers of Europe unite!

(EurActiv, 9 Apr 2019) As electric vehicles begin to soar in popularity, one of the key members of the European Commission’s in-house think-tank, Sami Andoura, asks: does Europe want to take the lead on electro-mobility or not?

Sami Andoura is team leader for sustainable development at the European Political Strategy Centre (EPSC). The EPSC was established in November 2014 by Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and operates directly under his authority.

Today there are more than 4 million electric cars and buses on the road worldwide. Most of these were not manufactured in Europe, and were not built and developed by European companies.

Yet the market is growing fast. Forecasts indicate that there will be between 50 and 200 million electric vehicles in use globally by 2028 – and 900 million by 2040.

At the same time, sales in electric bikes are soaring and electric scooters start populating the streets in many cities. European industry and politicians must consider whether Europe should take the lead on e-mobility or not.

If the answer is yes, Europe needs to act fast.

The continent’s industry is lagging behind on one key component, batteries. They represent about 40% of the value of electric vehicles. However, Europe’s share in global battery cell manufacturing stands at only 3% today.